Recloseable container



United States Patent 3,231,172 RECLOSEAB E CONTAINER Wiliiam M. Strange,Neenah, Wis., assignor to John Strange Carton Company, Menasha, Wis., acorporation of Wisconsin Filed Sept. 28, 1961, Ser. No. 141,400

7 Claims. (Cl. 229-51) This invention relates to recloseable containersand more particularly to an improvement in the closure means therefor.

The present invention is an improvement over my previously disclosedpackage container as set `forth in Serial Number 853,114, filed November16, 1959.

An object of this invention is to provide a folded container whichutilizes a simple tear means on the cover to allow quick and simpleopening thereof after which a substantial part of the separated covercomponents may be tucked into the container structure for temporaryclosure.

It is another object to provide a folded container which has a portionof the cover means permanently secured to the container structure afterthe container is filled with goods and which will remain secured after atear means has been expended whereby the permanently secured portion ofthe cover means will provide supporting structure for the front portionof the container but will permit the rear portion to drop away 4for easyaccess to the contained goods whenever the cover is swung to openposition.

A further object of this invention is to provide a folded containerwhich utilizes a tear mean-s for opening thereof which will not detractfrom the pleasing and attractive appearance of the container as a unit.

A still further object is to provide a prescored sheet which may beeasily formed into a folded container as described above.

These and 'other objects and advantages of this invention will morefully appear from the following description, made in connection with theaccompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to thesame or similar parts throughout the `several views and in which:

-FIGURE 1 is a partially folded blank which forms the container that isthe subject of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the container in its folded conditionand having the opening means partially removed;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional side view of FIGURE 2taken on the line 33;

FIGURE 4 shows the folded container lled with goods in perspective Viewand having the cover means partially opened;

FIGURE 5 is a View similar to that of FIGURE 4 but having the covermeans partially intertted with the front structural portion of thecontainer; and,

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional side view of FIGURE 5taken on line 6-6 showing in greater detail the interlitting relation ofthe Cover means and the container structure.

Referring more particularly now to FIGURE l, a prescored sheet ofmaterial or blank of cardboard 10 is shown with the various components,of a box or container. The parts of the container consist principallyof a bottom panel 11, end walls 12 and 13, rear wall panel 14 and covermeans 15 as well as front wall panel 16. The end walls 12 and 13 areeach provided with a rear flap 17, an end iiap 18, and a front ap 19.The front wall panel is upstanding and terminates in an upper free edge16a as shown.

The cover panel 20 of cover means 15 may be provided with a windowopening 21 over which is secured, with glue or other such means, atransparent sheet 22 through 3,231,172 Patented Jan. 25, 1966 ice lwhich the goods contained within the finally closed container may beviewed. Also forming a continuous portion of the cover means 15, andjoined thereto in fold line 15a, is a depending flap or tear strip panel23. As shown, the tear strip panel 23 consists of three principalelements; namely, a glue strip 24, which extendsfor the full width ofthe cover means 15; a tear strip 25, likewise extending the full widthof the cover means; and a closing or tucl; strip 26. Closing strip 26likewise extends for the full width of the cover means and has an edge27 that is continuous with the edge 28 of the cover panel 20. The gluestrip 24, as mentioned above, is provided with a glued surface on theunderside thereof at 29. The glue extends also `for the full length ofthe glue strip.

It is within the contemplation of this invention that the front wallpanel 16 be folded to an upstanding position with respect to bottompanel 11, after which the front `flaps 19 are then folded over the endareas 30 and 31 of the front panel.

After the goods are placed within the container, the cover means 15 isclosed -tightly thereover after which the glue strip Z4 is secured withglue 29 to the front flaps 19 and Vthe intermediate portion 32 ofthefront wall panel 16. In this manner, the glue strip will adhere to thefront flaps 19 and front wall panel 16 at the same time, thereby, ineffect, securing thefront ilaps 19 to the front wall panel 16. The iinalclosure arrangement is as disclosed in FIGURE 2.

A particular attribute of my invention resides in an arrangement whererear flaps 17 of the end panels 12 and 13 are merely inturned to formabut-ting braces against the bottom panel 11 and the back panel 14without being secured directly thereto. By reason of this unsecuredrelationship of the flaps 17, the back panel 14 is attached only to thecover 20 and to the bottom panel 11. Thus whenever the cover 20 is swungrearwardly the back panel 14 swings down and can completely be flattenedto give handy access to both the top and rear of the contents of thepackage. l

Assuming now that the contents within the container were Ito be removed,the tear strip is torn from the cover means 15 by way of the twoperforate tear lines 33 and 34. In this manner, the closing strip 26will be freed from theglue strip and thereby allowed to remain free ofthe front wall panel 16. Once the tear strip 25 has been completelyremoved, .the cover means may be opened as disclosed in FIGURE 4 wherebyto expose the contents 35 at the `top and rear for ready removal.

Assuming now that some of the contents have been re-` moved and it isdesired to temporarily close the container, it is a simple and eiiicientprocedure to simply insert the closing strip 26 into the front wallstructure as disclosed in FIGURE 5. As shown in greater detail in FIGURE6, the closing strip 26 is intertted behind the front wall panel 16. Inthis manner, the front wall panel 16 will frictionally hold the closingstrip until it is again desired to open the container.

It will be noted that the entire package or container is securelyenclosed by the single glue strip but in one simple oper-ation, thesecured pack-age may be converted into a package which may betemporarily and positively closed or opened thus safeguarding andisolating the contents. The instant structure is particularly usefulwhen packaging contents such as bacon strips. In such use, the containercan be opened, the desire-d amount of bacon easily removed from the topor rear portion of the container and then the cover means can again befirmly secured to the enclosure structure for protecting the contents.

It will of course, be understood that various changes may be made in theform, details, arrangements and prO- portions of the parts withoutdeparting from the scope of this invention `as set forth in the appendedclaims.

What claimed is:

1. A recloseable container comprising an upstanding front `wallterminating upwardly in a free edge, a pair of end walls, each having afront flap folded over a side 'portion of said front Wall, a coverlhaving a forward edge closely overlying said `free edge of the frontwall, a depending iiap secured to the forward edge of said cover in afold line, said depend-ing flap having across the width thereof aninnermost tuck strip, an outermost glue strip, and an intermediate tearstrip defined by a pair of horizontal spaced tear lines, said glue stripbeing permanently secured .to said front flaps and to said front wall ina mutually rigidstructure, said tear strip, upon removal thereof,freeing the tuck strip and cover and permitting the tuck strip to beinserted behind said front wall at the free edge thereof.

2. Therecloseable container of claim 1 and, a bottom panel, and anupstanding rear wall secured only to said cover and to said lbottompanel, said cover when opened rearwardly serving to drop said rear walland thereby facilitating access to the interior of the container.

3. A container comprising, a wall panel, a pair of end walls adjacentsaid wall panel each having continuous flaps overlying a portion of saidwall panel, a cover means, a tear strip panel portion of said covermeans overlying said wall panel and said continuous flaps and having atear means extending the width thereof, said tear strip panel portionhaving an outermost glue strip portion which is permanently secured oversaid wall panel and said continuous flaps and which is separable fromthe remainder of said tear strip panel portion of said cover means whensaid tear means is removed, whereafter the remaining portion of saidtear strip panel portion of said cover means may be interlitted withsaid wall panel to effect temporary closure of said folded container.

4. A container comprising, a front wall panel, a pair of end walls eachhaving a front flap overlying a respective end portion of said frontwall panel, a cover panel, 'and a tear strip panel joined forwardly tosaid cover panel, said tear strip panel having an outermost glue stripportion iixedly secured mutually over said front flaps and a portion ofsaid front wall panel, an intermediate tear strip portion extending thewidth of said tear strip panel and defined by a pair of spaced perforatelines, and an innermost closing strip portion adapted to be freed fromsaid glue strip when said tear strip is removed, said remaining closingstrip portion adapted to be interfitted behind said front wall panel toeffect temporary closure of said cover means.

5. A recloseable container comprising a rectangular bottom wall, a pairof upstanding end walls, one at each end of the bottom wall, a pair ofupstanding longitudinal walls connected in a fold line, one at each sideof the bottom wall, one of said upstanding longitudinal wallsterminating upwardly in a free edge, a cover connected in a fold line tothe other longitudinal wall at its upper edge and having a forward edgeclosely overlying said free edge, a depending flap secured to theforward edge of said cover in a fold line, said depending flap havingacross the width thereof an innermost friction closure strip, anoutermost glue strip, and an intermediate tear strip vdefined by a pairof horizontal spaced tear lines, said glue strip being permanentlysecured as a structural element to the outer surface of the firstmentioned longitudinal wall and upon tearing away of said tear strip,freeing the friction closure strip and cover, said cover when raisedsimultaneously opening the top and side of said container, the open sidebeing created by the outward and downward folding of a longitudinalwall, said cover further being recloseable in frictional engagement withsaid first mentioned longitudinal Wall adjacent the free edge thereofwhereby to reclose the side and top opening and form a firm structurewith the remaining walls.

6. The recloseable container set forth in claim S, said upstanding endwalls each having a flap foldable inwardly to abut against, but befreely separable from, the longitudinal Wall which is foldable outwardlyand downwardly.

7. A recloseable carton including a bottom panel, side and end wallpanels extending upwardly therefrom, a top panel hingedly connected toone side wall panel and including a closure flap hinged thereto andoverlying the other side wall panel, corner flaps on said end walls andfolded into face Contact with the outer surface of said other side Wallpanel and inwardly of said closure iiap and terminating in spacedrelation, a weakened line of separation extending across said closureflap intermediate the ends thereof, and adhesive connecting the endportion of said closure flap to the outer surface of said corner flapsand a portion of said other side wall between said corner flaps, saidclosure flap being otherwise free of connection with said other sidewall.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,383,735 7/1921McGunn 229`40 X 2,218,509 10/ 1940 Goodyear 229-51 2,354,543 7/1944Ratcliff 229-51 X 2,844,473 7/ 1958 Seiferth et al. 2,885,842 5/1959Boitel.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

EARLE I. DRUMMOND, FRANKLIN T. GARRETT,

Examiners.

1. A RECLOSEABLE CONTAINER COMPRISING AN UPSTANDING FRONT WALLTERMINATING UPWARDLY IN A FREE EDGE, A PAIR OF END WALLS, EACH HAVING AFRONT FLAP FOLDED OVER A SIDE PORTION OF SAID FRONT WALL, A COVER HAVINGA FORWARD EDGE CLOSELY OVERLYING SAID FREE EDGE OF THE FRONT WALL, ADEPENDING FLAP SECURED TO THE FORWARD EDGE OF SAID COVER IN A FOLD LINE,SAID DEPENDING FLAP HAVING ACROSS THE WIDTH THEREOF AN INNERMOST TUCKSTRIP, AN OUTERMOST GLUE STRIP, AND AN INTERMEDIATE TEAR STRIP DEFINEDBY A PAIR OF HORIZONTAL SPACED TEAR LINES, SAID GLUE STRIP BEINGPERMANENTLY SECURED TO SAID FRONT FLAPS AND TO SAID FRONT WALL IN AMUTUALLY RIGID STRUCTURE, SAID TEAR STRIP, UPON REMOVAL THEREOF, FREEINGTHE TUCK STRIP AND COVER AND PERMITTING THE TUCK STRIP TO BE INSERTEDBEHIND SAID FRONT WALL AT THE FREE EDGE THEREOF.